Baby Take It Off!: Dane Reynolds VS Cam Richards

Hurley, in the uncanny depths of their heart, has been kind enough to let us choose our wildcard for the world tour stop at Lower Trestles. It has been a stunning contest, thus far. My inbox blows up daily with appeals to help this pro or that pro scoot through to the next round and, fingers crossed, end up in the big dance.

Ballots have been cast at TheHuleyPro.com. And now, into the semis, Dane Reynolds is battling young Cameron Richards from Garden City Beach, South Carolina. And, as of 3:14 PM, Dane the Great is losing. “Garden Beach, South City what?” You ask, and you are totally right. Social media is instrumental in such a contest and Dane has no Instagram, no Twitter, no Facebook. And no knock against dear Cameron, who is currently featured as a Threat in SURFING’s September issue, but I want to see Dane in this contest. Frankly, I want to see Dane the Great in ALL contests. A few wildcards will not do the trick. I want to see him at Bells and Teahupo’o and Fiji and Bali and France and Portugal and the Banzai Pipeline. He is the most exciting surfer of this generation and he embezzles joy when he does not paddle out.

If Dane does lose maybe it will be a loud and undeniable call that it is time for him to enter the ring, the real ring, once again. It is time for him to carry our banner and restore our joy. Please Dane. If you are not going to do it for me, do it for all of us. And if you are not going to do it for all of us, then do it for Garden Beach, South Carolina. —Chas Smith